Miss Mila

Blogging has been a little harder than I anticipated since Mila joined our family. I don’t know where the time goes… before I know it, it’s nighttime again and I’m trying to get just a few hours of sleep at a time. But it’s all so worth it.

Mila joined our family on July 8th at 10:10 AM. She made me so proud by waiting until 37 weeks, 2 days to make her arrival. They called her a “late preemie” at birth.

Overall, my delivery was perfect. Labor started when my water broke (just like my mom and sister, so I wasn’t surprised). It took about 3 hours for my contractions to start. And then, from the beginning of contractions to her arrival was only 6 hours! We hired a doula for the delivery (think birth coach) which was amazing. She was such a support for both me and Jake. And I’m so proud to say I had a natural delivery, without any pain medications/epidural! Since I had taken so many medications and had so many complications throughout the pregnancy, it felt nice to be able to actually control something. I wanted us to both be alert and present the day we met.

It can be common to get a lupus flare post-partum so I’m watching carefully for any signs/symptoms of a flare. Stress can cause flares so I’m trying to stay stress free and get as much rest as I can (ha ha!). If things are going well 6 weeks post-partum than I might be able to start tapering off the prednisone I have been taking for 1+ years. I will have to taper down slowly but it will be a huge blessing if I can decrease my medications. FINGERS CROSSED.

Nursing has been way more challenging than I anticipated. And not the actual nursing, but worrying about whether or not Mila is getting enough milk. Lupus can decrease your milk supply, so as soon as I learned that I essentially started worrying. Our little peanut is hungry a LOT and many times will want to nurse 4-6+ hours in a row and those are the moments I start to really worry. She has been steadily gaining weight so hopefully soon I’ll be able to trust that she is getting enough.

After everything that has happened in the past 2 years, I can’t believe Mila is here and part of our family. We are so happy.

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8 thoughts on “Miss Mila”

i don’t have lupus and i “assume” my milk supply is normal and my son (born July 6th) does the same thing. he’ll “cluster feed” for hours in a row. the nuk has helped some but he still seems to want the real thing. not sure if that makes you feel any better…

Congratulations!!!! She is so sweet and precious and I am so happy everything went well. The first few months can be so hard but it does get better. I hope you have a very speedy recovery and enjoy her to pieces!

what a gorgeous family!!! : ) we can’t wait to meet her in person someday. until then, you and jake and mila are in our thoughts, prayers & heart. we love you!!! and we’re SO excited for you. you two are fabulous parents already, i know it! xoxo

About Me

I am a primary care physician in Orange County, CA. I spend my days healing others, but am careful to take care of myself as I navigate my way through life while living with Lupus. I'm also busy loving my two mini's and my amazing husband.